| "Cashier's Check" or "African Buyer" or "Overseas" Scam.
This is an old scam making the rounds on the Internet with a slightly different angle. It first gained national attention in January of 2003 (do a Google search for "cashier's check scam" and you'll get hundreds of results). These scammers are all over the Internet targeting anyone selling high-priced items such as cars, boats, airplanes, and yes, even horses and horse equipment. Their goal is to find a trusting seller to whom they can pass a counterfeit cashier's check. The scammer entices the seller with a cashier's check made out for more than the purchase price and a request for the seller to refund the difference.
The scammer usually starts by sending an email inquiry about the horse or item for sale (see sample) but doesn't ask the type of questions you would expect from a legitimate buyer (although this is changing - see below). If the seller responds, the scammer eventually brings up the subject of a cashiers check that his agent/client/friend/relative/etc. will send or deliver. Sellers may may receive multiple nearly identical messages from different email addresses; the same nearly identical message may also go out to hundreds of different sellers. Frequently the scammer has poor English language skills. In some cases where contact is made via telephone, the scammer pretends to be deaf and uses an interpretive service.
With the AENmail system in our new Classifieds, it's still possible for scammers to send you email messages if you include an email link in your post, but the scammer cannot see your email address or save it to a mailing list. They are not hacking the database, they are manually browsing public web sites just like other legitimate visitors and clicking on email links. Other horse commerce sites like Dreamhorse, Webpony, etc. are also being targeted (probably because of the preponderance of high-ticket items for sale - scammers go where the money is). Web site security is not the issue - these scammers are not hacking computer systems, they are manually browsing public web sites just like other legitimate visitors and clicking on email links. The only foolproof way to avoid receiving email scams or spam is to not post your email address on the Internet.
We suggest you treat messages of this sort like spam and other unwanted email and delete without responding. See tips on avoiding spam.
Variations on the Cashier's Check Scam
On 12/11/03 one of our advertisers contacted us to share the following: "A couple of my trainers have been receiving a new type of fraudulent email. One almost shipped a horse out. Here's the new AENario: Someone inquires to buy a horse with a cashier's check, no vet check needed. The inquires come thru email, but they may call you too. They will send you this cashier's check that is fraudulent. The fraud is not caught until the cashier's check gets back to the issuing bank. Your local bank will probably not catch that it is phony. Then the person calls you at the spur of the moment that the horse needs to be shipped tomorrow. The hauler has been arranged and will arrive tomorrow. They ask for you to pay the hauler."
This is the basic Cashier's Check scam with the added twist of a phone call and pressure upon the seller to ship on a moment's notice.
The scammers know that savvy Internet users are on to them, so their pitches are evolving. Scammers are beginning to ask 'normal' buyer's questions about the condition of the horse or item for sale in order to appear more legitimate, yet their slightly-off-key messages will still ring alarm bells for most sellers.
Some Commonsense Advice
If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Even though you've posted a for-sale ad, whether electronically or in print, you are under NO obligation to sell to anyone, no matter who they are or how much they offer. You are NO obligation to respond to an email or phone offer that makes you uncomfortable in any way. It's YOUR item for sale on YOUR terms, and anyone who is put off by your legitimate efforts to protect yourself and your property can take a hike. Treat suspicious emails like spam and delete upon receipt without replying.
Your best protection is to insist upon cash paid in person, direct deposit to your bank account via wire transfer, or PayPal. Do not ship your horse or item until you've verified the money is deposited safely in your account. If you feel you must accept a check, insist that the issuing bank clear the check before the horse or item leaves your control (this can take 7-14 days, which is why the scammers pressure you to ship NOW). Don't allow ANYONE to pressure you into a sale.
If you're a Scam Victim...
Please see resources at Scam Victims United.
To file complaints in the US use the Federal Trade Commission Consumer Complaint Form or forward suspected scam email to uce@ftc.gov. For Canadian Complaints contact the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. For more information on this scam, please view Google search results.
Additional links for reporting scams and spam, contributed by AEN users
Sample Cashier's Check Scam Messages
We've posted a selection of Cashier's Check scam messages contributed by our users. If you received a scam message that is substantially different from these examples, please forward to us and we'll share it here. |
